'Let's Encrypt' Project Strives To Make Encryption Simple

jones_supa writes: As part of an effort to make encryption a standard component of every application, the Linux Foundation has launched the Let's Encrypt project (announcement) and stated its intention to provide access to a free certificate management service. Jim Zemlin, executive director for the Linux Foundation, says the goal for the project is nothing less than universal adoption of encryption to disrupt a multi-billion dollar hacker economy. While there may never be such a thing as perfect security, Zemlin says it's just too easy to steal data that is not encrypted. In its current form, encryption is difficult to implement and a lot of cost and overhead is associated with managing encryption keys. Zemlin claims the Let's Encrypt project will reduce the effort it takes to encrypt data in an application down to two simple commands. The project is being hosted by the Linux Foundation, but the actual project is being managed by the Internet Security Research Group. This work is sponsored by Akamai, Cisco, EFF, Mozilla, IdenTrust, and Automattic, which all are Linux Foundation patrons. Visit Let's Encrypt official website to get involved.

Comments

Warning!!!

[bazmail]

Having conversations that your government can't eavesdrop on is tantamount to terrorism.

You have been warned.

Re: Warning!!!

[clonehappy]

Cowards like you have never changed the world. Sad, really. Not that I think I'm going to, or anything, but for fuck's sake man stop being a pussy! If we're so beaten, and privacy's so dead, then what the fuck have we to lose by figthing for what's right?

I'd rather be suicidal and on the right side of history than get to live a meek, shallow little existence cowering in my hole waiting to die, afraid to say the wrong thing or think the wrong ideas. Sure, someone may eventually kill me or persecute me because I believe in freedom and liberty and privacy, but they won't be taking away my dignity. I've done nothing wrong, and I have the right to think and say what I want (as do you). I, for one, will be exercising those rights until I'm six feet under.

Being cowards and letting everyone roll over on us is how we got in this mess in the first place. It's not too late to take ownership of your historical defeatism and try to affect change.

Re: Warning!!!

[pla]

we live in the Surveillance Age now and will probably be for the rest of our lives.

Probably true - But I'll still use encryption for my private files and communications. I'll still refrain from screaming what I had for breakfast into the ether. I'll still make up random information when registering for any service that doesn't need real info to perform its core function. I'll still "fuzz" personal details when relevant to discussions on sites such as Slashdot. I'll still bait telemarketers even though they probably know more about me than I do. And, I'll still make Officer Twitchy get a warrant to search my phone, even if it means I get shot in the back trying to peacefully walk away.

Accepting the reality of something doesn't mean you should just give up - We all unavoidably die, why don't we all just commit suicide now and save ourselves the hassle of wasting all that time working and sleeping and exercising-so-we-can-live-longer and such? Sometimes, "accepting" something means "fight harder anyway".

Re:Warning!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes but if everybody has access to simple to use encryption that stigma goes away, when encrypted traffic is the norm rather than the exception then Its use is not a red flag. Mass adoption is in itself protection.

Re: Warning!!!

[bill_mcgonigle]

"on the right side of history" This phrase has always confused me. Unless you are a prophet or time traveler, how do you know you are on the "right side" of history until a significant enough time has passed?

Look at long-term trends.

Two thousand years ago personal freedom was rare and people were the per se property of their Sovereign. Warring was common, dueling was how arguments were settled, and people drowned their extra babies. Human life had fairly little social value and everything was controlled by the whims of the Gods, regardless.

In the more advanced civilizations today, people can do pretty much whatever they want in terms of personal liberty, and there's a bunch of obfuscation to disguise the fact that they're still owned by their Sovereign (because they wouldn't accept it consciously). Cooperation is markedly increased, resulting in the march of technology.

The safe bet is for the trend-lines to continue towards more tolerance, more personal freedom, more blessings of enhanced communications and technology, and a sunset of the nation-state as the pervasive governing mechanism.

There's no guarantee, but the trends are very strong with only slight perturbations, so to bet against it is a fools' errand. To bet on more authoritarianism, more mercantilism, and more central planning while betting against more peace, more tolerance, and more liberty is a great way to be considered a fool, in history books written far enough into the future (there are always short-term gains for such sociopathic behaviors, so don't expect the history books written tomorrow to judge yesterday's tyrant harshly).

Historians in 3015 may judge this post harshly, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Re:Encryption done right isn't simple...

[bazmail]

Making it simple will go a long way to avoiding PEBCAK problems. Simpler processes give less opportunity for human error.

RTEM

[Defenestrar]

Encrypt everything! Bummer about the decryption man pages...

Re:Unintended Consequences ?

[nine-times]

That's already happening. DRM, for example, has always been partially for commercial reasons (preventing privacy), and largely for anti-competitive reasons (preventing interoperability and forcing people to repurchase the same content repeatedly).

Encryption is being used for almost every purpose except the good ones. We could use encryption to protect privacy and prevent identity theft, but I guess we can't do that because it might prevent the NSA from snooping on your dick pics.

Re:Linux only, as usual.

[93 Escort Wagon]

This is specifically about making it easy to offer an encrypted web site - so "Linux only" will mean it's available for the majority of websites in the world.

Unfortunately there seems to be a huge disconnect between what the Slashdot summary and linked article claims and what the actual Linux Foundation web page states is the goal (making encrypted websites easy to deploy). This is a much less ambitious project than the submitter thinks it is.